HKFC host Kitchee at HKFC Football Ground on Sunday afternoon for the 2023-24 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League fixture of the day. Kitchee beat HKFC by 3:1 and claimed three points.
The match kicked off at a leisurely pace and it wasn't until the 19th minute that HKFC launched the first notable attack. Timothy Chow's ambitious long ball from a set-piece found Man Ga Wing Daneil in the penalty area, but his acute-angled effort was safely gathered by the alert Kitchee goalkeeper, Wang Zhenpeng.
Kitchee retaliated with an offensive move in the 22nd minute as Mikael Burkatt tried to convert a pass from Mingazov Ruslan within the penalty area, but his attempt failed to find the net.
The deadlock was broken in the 29th minute when Kitchee capitalized on a handball infringement by Martin Christopher Faye in the penalty area. Mikael Burkatt stepped up and confidently dispatched the penalty, handing Kitchee a 1:0 lead.
However, the lead was short-lived as HKFC responded swiftly. Two minutes later, Johns Dominic Sy embarked on a daring run down the right flank and delivered a cross to Leonardo Peres, who controlled the ball with his chest and coolly slotted home to restore parity at 1:1.
In the 44th minute, HKFC came close to taking the lead. Johns Dominic Sy made a penetrative run into the box following a long pass from Wan Chun Emmet, but his angled shot skimmed past the post.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Kitchee mounted continuous assaults on the HKFC goal. Mikael Burkatt found the back of the net from Igor Sartori's left-sided free kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Kitchee managed to regain the lead just before halftime, thanks to a stunning lobbed header from Mingazov Ruslan, who connected perfectly with Charlie Scott's long ball, giving Kitchee a 2:1 advantage going into the break.
The second half saw both teams creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities. Kitchee's Cleiton Velasques unleashed a long-range right-footed strike that narrowly missed the target, while on the other end, Johns Dominic Sy tested the goalkeeper with a powerful drive.
In the 66th minute, Kitchee extended their lead as Charlie Scott's ingenious pass found Cleiton Velasques on the right wing, who teed up Walter Junior for a spectacular diving finish, extending the lead to 3:1.
Despite their comfortable lead, Kitchee continued to press. Poon Pui Hin supplied a cross from the right after a pass from Cleiton Velasques, but Walter Junior's left-footed effort was securely held by the goalkeeper.
Finally, Kitchee maintained their lead until the final whistle, securing a well-deserved 3:1 triumph over HKFC and bagging all three points.